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Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom, 42, is the youngest San Francisco mayor in over a century. Newsom, the son of William and Tessa Newsom, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended Santa Clara University on a partial baseball scholarship, graduating in 1989 with a B.A. in political science.

After only 36 days as mayor, Newsom gained worldwide attention when he granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This bold move set the tone for Newsomâ€™s first term. Under his energetic leadership, the economy grew and jobs were created. The city became a center for biotech and clean tech. He initiated a plan to bring universal health care to all of the cityâ€™s uninsured residents. And Newsom aggressively pursued local solutions to global climate change.

In 2007, Newsom was re-elected with over 73% of the vote. Since then he has built upon the successes of his first term, launching new environmental initiatives and a comprehensive strategy to transform one of the cityâ€™s most troubled neighborhoods into a life sciences, digital media, and clean tech center. More than 80% of the previously uninsured are now covered by cityâ€™sÂ first-of-its-kind universal health care program.

Newsomâ€™s commitment to combating homelessness has never waned. As mayor, he has moved 10,000 homeless individuals off the street, and his volunteer initiative, Project Homeless Connect â€“ now imitated in over 130 cities â€“ has attracted over 20,000 San Franciscans who give their time to help the homeless.

Newsom is married to Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Their daughter, Montana, was born on September 18, 2009.